What?

While the models can be submitted and developed in any format, we will actively encourage the use of open standards such as
NeuroML and PyNN,
to ensure transparency, modularity, accessibility and cross simulator portability.

OSB will provide advanced facilities to analyse, visualise and transform models in these formats, and to connect researchers interested in models of specific neurons, brain regions and disease states.

Why?

Increasingly detailed single neuron and network models are becoming available which
encapsulate the latest data on anatomical and electrophysiological properties of the systems being investigated. These complex models
take a long time to develop and are normally only available in one of many incompatible, simulator specific formats.

Enabling these to be analysed, reused and critically evaluated by as many researchers as possible will increase the power and scientific
rigour of neuronal models and make them more accessible to a wider range of neuroscientists.

Who?

The Open Source Brain initiative was started in the Silver Lab at UCL
as part of a Wellcome Trust funded project to encourage collaborative development of models in computational neuroscience.

A number of research groups and organisations from all over the world are currently actively developing and sharing their neuronal models on OSB.